Disneyland Park Update

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News and Views

Annual Passholder Holiday Kickoff

More details are available about this week’s Annual Passholder event.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 18 and 19, Disney’s

California Adventure park’s Hollywood and Dine restaurant will be transformed

into an Annual Passholder lounge of sorts. Passholders can relax with

a free beverage, take photos with Disney characters in their holiday costumes,

and receive a free button. The preview includes sneak peeks at the Tower

of Terror and Disney’s Snow White – An Enchanting Musical.

Cast members warn visitors not to get their hopes up, however—the

“preview” of Tower of Terror will consist mostly of photos and

a video, and Passholders will not be allowed near the ride building.

Passholders will also get an extra discount on their merchandise purchases

during those two days. Southern California and Deluxe Passholders will

get a voucher for a 10 percent discount, and Premium Passholders will

receive a 20 percent discount. Specific details and participting locations

will be listed on the voucher. An annual passholder pin will be available

for sale during the event.

The Disneyland Band performs in front of the 2003 Christmas tree. Photo

by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Christmas, round 2

Although the Disneyland Resort “holiday season” officially

started on November 7, more offerings will be added this weekend. A

Christmas Fantasy parade begins Friday, November 21. That is also

the day that Santa Claus makes his debut on Main Street, U.S.A.

Round three begins on Thanksgiving, when strolling carolers and Santa

make daily appearances at the Disneyland Resort hotels. The Holiday Fantasy

Waters show also begins on November 27. The Candy Palace on Main Street

begins making fresh candy canes the day after Thanksgiving.

Disney’s 2003 Wildfire Heroes Salute

Disney’s 2003 Wildfire Heroes Salute gives firefighters, law enforcement and

rescue personnel a chance to enjoy complimentary, three-day admission

into DCA, plus special admission discounts for their families and friends.

Since this offer began last week, several groups of children proudly

wearing their parents’ department T-shirts have been spotted in the park.

Announcing this offer, Disneyland Resort president Matt Ouimet said,

“All of us at the Disneyland Resort express our heartfelt appreciation

for the tireless dedication and sacrifices our emergency personnel made

during the recent fires, and we invite these hard-working men and women

to enjoy some well-deserved fun with their families and friends.”

The promotion entitles qualifying emergency personnel to one free three-day

park hopper ticket. They can also make a one-time purchase of up to five

three-day park hopper companion tickets for $39 each. Discounted hotel

rates are also available at the three Disneyland Resort hotels.

“Disney’s 2003 Wildfire Heroes Salute” is offered November 11, 2003 through

March 31, 2004, except for blackout dates of November 27 through 29, 2003, December

20, 2003 through January 3, 2004, and February 14 through 16, 2004. Active California firefighters,

law enforcement and rescue personnel are eligible with proper organization

identification and photo identification. Details and additional information

are available by calling (714) 520-5069, or at the salute’s Web page (link).

More “Candlelight” news

Just weeks before the actual event, Disneyland has finally released the

official announcement about the “Candlelight” Procession and

Ceremony, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7.

As previously reported here, “Candlelight” will return to Main

Street, U.S.A., this year. The Fantasyland Theater, where the performance

has been held since 1998, is being refurbished for the new Snow White

musical production. Some members of the Disney Employee Choir have been

told that “Candlelight” will stay on Main Street for at least

five years, or until Snow White closes.

Performances will be 5:30 and 8 p.m. each day. Disney has confirmed that

Oscar- and Emmy-winning actor Louis Gossett, Jr. will narrate all four

performances.

Disneyland is offering a limited number of dining packages for each performance.

Visitors can get tickets to the reserved seating area with a minumum purchase

at one of these six Disneyland Resort restaurants:

Minimum spending of $40 per adult, $15 per child age 3-9:

• Hook’s Pointe at the Disneyland Hotel
• Storytellers Cafe at the Grand Californian Hotel

Minimum spending of $50 per adult, $15 per child:

• Granville’s Steak House at the Disneyland Hotel
• Yamabuki at the Paradise Pier Hotel

Minimum spending of $75 per adult, $20 per child:

• Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Hotel
• The Vineyard Room in the Golden Vine Winery in DCA

Note: Park admission is not included with these packages.

As was the case when Disneyland offered a “Candlelight” dining

package last year, customers must figure out how to meet the minumum purchase

requirements at the participating restaurants. For example, the dinner

buffet at Storytellers Cafe—the most expensive menu offering—is

$27.99. Diners will likely need to order an appetizer, entree, dessert

and drinks to meet the minimum at each location—or take home a cheesecake,

as one MousePlanet staff person almost did last year.

It’s a Jungle in there

Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise has been opening at noon on recent weekdays

to give the Horticulture Department added daylight hours to repair damage

caused by the high winds in late October.

Another honor for Napa Rose

Napa Rose restaurant at the Grand Californian Hotel has achieved the

top Orange County overall ranking in the 2004 edition of the Zagat

Survey, the first time the restaurant has earned the county’s

top overall spot. The restaurant received scores of 28 for Food, 25 for

Décor and 26 for Service, giving it the top Food rating among all

restaurants throughout the Los Angeles/Southern California region.

The Zagat 2002 Restaurant Survey placed Napa Rose at the top of

new offerings for the year. Earlier this year, manager Michael A. Jordan

was named the 2002 Sommelier of the Year, and the Napa Rose itself achieved

the Golden Scepter Award, the highest honor for overall excellence, and

the Golden Bacchus Award, the top laurel for wine lists from the Southern

California Restaurant Writers.

“Absolutely outrageous!!!”

That was the reaction from one MousePlanet reader after she saw the prices

for the upcoming Sleeping Beauty’s Royal Ball, scheduled for Valentine’s

Day, 2004. Reader Oleg C. agreed, saying, “$285 for dinner and dancing,

and a commemorative gift? I’m flabbergasted that the right to buy merchandise

would carry such a premium.”

Three ticket options are available for this event:

Flora: $535 per person

• One (1) night’s accommodation at the Disneyland Hotel on Feburary

  14, 2004

• Breakfast at a Disneyland Resort hotel restaurant
• Elegantly themed dinner (semi-formal/black tie optional)
• Enchanting entertainment and dancing
• Opportunity to pre-purchase limited-edition Sleeping Beauty merchandise

• Commemorative gift

Fauna: $285 per person

• Elegantly themed dinner (semi-formal/black tie optional)
• Enchanting entertainment and dancing
• Opportunity to pre-purchaselimited-edition Sleeping Beauty merchandise

• Commemorative gift

Merriweather: $95 per child (ages 3 to 9 only)

• Special menu fit for our Little Princes and Princesses (semi-formal/black

  tie optional)

• Enchanting entertainment and dancing
• Commemorative dhild’s gift

  Each child must be accompanied by a paying adult, and a child’s

  ticket does not include the opportunity to pre-purchase limited

  edition Sleeping Beauty merchandise.

Tickets are limited in availabity, and no discounts are offered in conjunction

with any of these packages.

In comparison, Walt Disney World is hosting a “This is Love”

ball on February 4, 2004. This event will be held inside the Magic Kingdom

park, and tickets are only $125 for adults, and $95 for children 3 to

9 years old. WDW has already released a sneak peek at the merchandise

available for the event.

Few details about the Disneyland event have been announced, including

the exact venue. Before prospective attendees plunk down almost $300 for

dinner and dancing, they want to know if the event will be held inside

Disneyland Park, or in one of the hotel ballrooms.

Tickets go on sale at the Disney Gallery Web site (link)

on Tuesday, November 25 at 9:00 a.m. With luck, we’ll have more details

before then.

A new sign decorates the construction wall around the coming Buzz Lightyear

attraction. Photo by Isaac.

2004 ticket prices announced

Our sharp-eyed MousePad News Analyst Darkbeer has discovered details

of Disneyland’s 2004 ticket offerings. The new prices are valid from January

6, 2004 through January 3, 2005. The only ticket not yet confirmed is

the single-day admission. If recent trends hold true, expect to see this

ticket climb to $48 or $49, although the $1 decrease in the 2-day

park hopper ticket may indicate that 1-day admissions will remain $47.

New 6-Day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket

• Adults: $204.
• Children ages 3 to 9: $169.
• Each ticket comes with a $10 ESPN Zone Arena Game Card. This ticket

  is not available at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. A $45 discount,

  ($40 for ages 3-9), applies to this ticket when you purchase it in advance

  through the Disneyland Web site (link).

New 5-Day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket

• Adults: $184.
• Children ages 3 to 9: $149.
• Each ticket comes with a $10 ESPN Zone Arena Game Card. This ticket

  is not available at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. A $55 discount,

  ($50 for ages 3-9), applies to this ticket when you purchase it in advance

  through the Disneyland Web site (link).

3-day Park Hopper

• Adults: $129 ($10 increase).
• Children ages 3 to 9: $99 ($4 increase).
• A $5 discount applies to this ticket when you purchase it in advance

  through the Disneyland Web site (link).

2-day Park Hopper

• Adults: $98 ($1 decrease).
• Children ages 3 to 9: $78 ($1 decrease).

Darkbeer also reports that the 2004 AAA Passport Plus tickets no longer

offer the enhanced Fastpass option, but come with a coupon book and some

priority seating passes for DCA shows, for the same price as the three-day

Park Hopper. MousePad reader Brian Noble notes that his AAA travel agent

said that the AAA tickets may also come with vouchers for free parking

in the Mickey and Friends structure.

Eureka! we’ve destroyed it!

Several MousePlanet readers have reported that the floats from DCA’s

Eureka parade are being destroyed in a backstage area behind California

Screamin’. The work is visible from the roller coaster, and from the Sun

Wheel.

One cast member said he was surprised that the floats were being destroyed

rather than salvaged. A reader confirmed that observation, saying, “What

I saw was not a dismantled float; it was a devastation. I mean, it literally

looked like the thing had been torn to bits recklessly.”

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

Mr. Toad’s contruction wall has become the new Fantasyland stroller parking

lot. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride closed November 10 to December 11
• Mark Twain Riverboat closed indefinitely as of November

  3

• Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through closed indefinitely
• Space Mountain closed through 2005
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed indefinitely

The Mark Twain Riverboat sits in dry dock, while the Sailing

Ship Columbia takes passengers on a rare trip around the Rivers of

America. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Disney’s California Adventure

• Superstar Limo closed indefinitely

Future Attraction Closures

• Indiana Jones Adventure closed January 20 to April 3, 2004

Note: Refurbishment schedules are estimates only. All information is

subject to change without notice. To get the most recent updates, call

Disneyland at (714) 781-7290.

Park Events

November

• Passholder Holiday Kickoff at DCA. Tuesday and Wednesday,

  November 18 & 19.

• Mickey’s 75th Anniversary merchandise debut – Tuesday, November

  18, 2003.

• Disneyland Resort Pin Trading Night at the Paradise Pier hotel

  – Sunday, November 23, 5:00pm – 9:00pm

December

• Marie Osmond “Enchanted Tiki Room Hostess” doll release

  and meet-and-greet at Disneyland. Saturday, December 6.

• Candlelight Processional at Disneyland. December 6 and 7.
• Robert Olszewski “Central Plaza” sculpture release

  at Disneyland. Saturday, December 13.

• Disneyland Resort Pin Trading Night at the Paradise Pier hotel.

  Sunday, December 14, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

January

• Disneyland Resort float in 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade,

  January 1, 2004

• 75 Years with Mickey auction, January 31, 2004.
• Cast Member Create-A-Pin Contest pin release, date not announced.

  (Moved from November)

February

• Sleeping Beauty’s Royal Ball, details available at the Disney

  Gallery Web site (link).

  February 14.

April

• Tower of Terror event, details to be announced at a later date.

  April 22 and 23, 2004

May

• A Celebration of Walt Disney Art Classics – “A Disney

  Blast to the Past” Registration open to returning participants

  through October 15, open registration begins October 16. May 14 to

  16.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Disney’s 2003 Wildfire Heroes Salute

The promotion entitles qualifying firefighters, law enforcement and rescue

personnel to one free three-day park hopper ticket. They may also make

a one-time purchase of up to five three-day park hopper companion tickets

for $39 each. Discounted hotel rates are also available at the three Disneyland

Resort hotels.

“Disney’s 2003 Wildfire Heroes Salute” is offered November 11, 2003 through

March 31, 2004, except for blackout dates of November 27 through 29, 2003, December

20, 2003 through January 3, 2004, and February 14 through 16, 2004. Active California firefighters,

law enforcement and rescue personnel are eligible with proper organization

identification and photo identification. Details and additional information

are available by calling (714) 520-5069, or at the salute’s Web page (link).

Disneyland Resort Holiday Getaway offer

Disneyland is offering a holiday-themed variation on its recurring “get

5 days and 4 nights for the price of 3” offer. The promotion is available

through January 2, 2004, and includes:

• A 5-day Park Hopper ticket for the price of a 3-day ticket.
• A 4th night free at participating hotels, including the Disneyland

  Resort hotels and selected “Good Neighbor” hotels.

• A collectible pin and lanyard
• Disneyland Resort Magical Pocket Guide
• A Disney holiday ornament (with arrivals between November 10 and December

  31, 2003)

Have a Coke and a pass

Specially marked 12-packs and two-liter bottles of Coca-Cola in Southern

California are currently offering a $20 off coupon towards the purchase

of a new Deluxe or Premium Disneyland Resort Annual Pass. The coupon is

valid through Jan 31, 2004.

Angels in the Outfield

Disney Visa cardholders will be receiving a certificate in their next

statement for a free try at the “Angels in the Outfield” midway

game at DCA.

Fall 2003 “Resident Salute” – Two parks, two days for the

price of one.

Southern California residents can purchase a one-day ticket to Disneyland

and a one-day ticket to Disney’s California Adventure for the price of

a regular one-day admission.*

The resort hotels are offering a “Stay and Play” package in

conjunction with this discount. It includes the resident salute 2-for-1

theme park ticket plus a one-night stay at one of the Disneyland Resort

hotels. The package starts at $89 per person. ** To book this package,

call (714) 956-MICKEY and ask for the package code SAP.

*Offer valid through 11/24/03 for Southern California

Offer may not be combined with other discounts or promotions.

**Valid for arrivals through 11/24/03 for Southern California

available for groups.

All offers, events, tickets, age ranges, services, attractions,

notice.

A Nightmare deal at Costco

MousePad member Tiki Junki purchased a copy of The Nightmare Before

Christmas at a local Costco store, and discovered a Disneyland Resort

offer inside. The $13 Special Edition DVD comes with a voucher for up

to four pre–issued Fastpass tickets for the Haunted Mansion, and

a voucher for one free cloisonné pin from the Le Bat en Rouge Shop

in New Orleans Square. The vouchers are good until March 31, 2004, and

are redeemable at Disneyland—there nothing to mail in, and you won’t

wait four to six weeks for the passes and pin to arrive.

Annual Passholders nights at the Disneyland Resort hotels

Annual passholder discounts are available at the Paradise Pier hotel

through December 12. Rates are $79 per night weekdays, and $119 per night

weekends. AP rooms are also available at the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s

Grand Californian Hotel at higher rates.

Get 5 days and 4 nights for the price of 3

Book a package at the Disneyland Resort for a minimum four-nights through

the Walt Disney Travel Company, and your package price will include one

night’s free accommodations at participating hotels. Your package will

also include a five-day Disneyland Resort park hopper ticket for the price

of a three-day Disneyland Resort park hopper ticket. Click

here for a list of participating hotels and dates.

Disney’s 2003 Armed Forces Salute

Through Friday, December 19, 2003, all active members of the United States

military (including Coast Guard and activated National Guard and Reservists)

qualify for Disney’s 2003 Armed Forces Salute and can claim one free

3-day park-hopper tickets. Since the tickets expire on December 19, 2003, you

must claim them by December 17, 2003 to use all three day’s worth. The passes

can only be claimed at a park gate ticket booth. To claim the passes,

valid military ID must be shown; activated National Guard and Reservists

must also show their active duty orders.

In addition to the one free pass, each qualifying person can also purchase

up to five 3-day companion passes for $39 each. If the qualifying person

cannot visit a park to purchase these companion tickets, a spouse may

do so instead.

Annual passholder discounts at Alamo

California residents get discounts of up to 20 percent off Alamo’s retail

rates in the United States. For more details and the discount code you’ll

need for this offer, visit the annual

passholder section of the Disneyland Web site.

ESPN Zone discounts for annual passholders

Disneyland annual passholders can get an Season Ticket Frequent Dining

Card at the Downtown Disney ESPN Zone. The Season Ticket entitles you

to a free soda with your meal purchase of $6.99 or more. Once you have

made four meal purchases, you receive the fifth meal and soda free, and

get a chance to win a pair of tickets to the ESPY Awards in 2004. See

location for more information and details.

City Pass now available with AAA packages

You can now purchase the Southern California City Pass with Walt Disney

Travel Company packages.

With a Southern California City Pass booklet, you will receive admission

to five separate entertainment options. Admission includes:

• 3-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket

• 1-day ticket to Sea World Adventure park

• 1-day ticket to the World-famous San Diego Zoo

• 1-day ticket to Knott’s Theme Park.

Instead of the Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket currently included

in California packages from the Walt Disney Travel Company, guests can

select a Southern California city’s for an additional charge of $47 per

pass ($32 per pass for guests ages 3 through 9).

Note: The Southern California City’s does not include the $10

ESPN Zone Arena Game Card, or the California package’s feature that allows

guests to collect multiple Fastpass tickets at once for free in advance.

5-Day Park Hopper promotion extended

The “Get a 5-Day Park Hopper ticket for the price of a 3-Day ticket”

promotion has been extended through January 5, 2004. These tickets are

available when you order online from the Disneyland Web site (link).

Restrictions apply – see site for details.

AAA Passport Plus Package

For $122.75, you can get a 5-day park hopper and the following extras:

• Multiple attraction Fastpass (The “Unlimited” option)

• Breakfast in the park (one per person)

• Free ESPN Zone arena game card ($10 value)

• AAA Free parking at the Disneyland Resort Theme Parks

A $13.75 FedEx fee applies to each reservation, (not per person). This

package is available without an air or hotel purchase, and must be purchased

at your local AAA affiliate office at least 5 days before you plan to

use the tickets.

Many readers have experienced difficulties when trying to purchase this

package from their local AAA affiliate. Be sure to read this

thread on our MousePad discussion boards, for more information

about the package and tips on how to help your AAA travel agent book your

package.

AAA-Disney’s Resort Magic Package

This package requires a minimum 2-night hotel stay, and includes:

• Accommodations at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, the Disneyland Hotel,

  or Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel

• Disneyland Resort Hotel self-parking and Fitness Center access

• Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket – valid for entry into Disneyland

  park and Disney’s California Adventure park with full park-hopping privileges

• Free ESPN Zone Arena Game Card – $10 value (one per person)

• New. Collect Fastpass tickets for multiple attractions at one time.

  Preferred Seating at a choice of select shows in Disney’s California

  Adventure

• Exclusive – Walt Disney Travel Company collectible pin and lanyard

  (one per person)

• Exclusive – Walt Disney Travel Company California Fun Book (one

  per package)

• Exclusive – Disneyland Resort Magical Pocket Guide (one per package)

You can book this package through your local AAA affiliate travel agent.

Park Hours/Blockout Dates

DL: Disneyland

DCA: Disney’s California Adventure

Annual Pass blockout dates: SoCal

– Southern California Annual Pass. DX

– Deluxe Annual Pass

Visit our Annual

Passholders Blockout Dates 2003-2004 page to see more dates.

Entertainment Schedule